Redirection programs allow the remote operation of computer systems. These solutions utilize a redirection server application program executing on a controlled computer to capture video screen application programming interface (“API”) calls, and to transmit the captured calls to a redirection client application executing on a remote computer. The redirection client application replays the captured API calls so that the display is shown at the remote computer. Redirection programs also transmit keyboard and mouse data between the controlled computer and the remote computer so that a user can interact with the controlled computer as if she was located proximately to the controlled computer.
One category of redirection programs utilizes the remote desktop protocol (“RDP”). The RDP protocol is commonly utilized by computers executing the WINDOWS operating system from MICROSOFT CORPORATION of Redmond, Wash. Another category of redirection software packages utilizes the virtual network computing (“VNC”) protocol. The VNC protocol is typically utilized by computer systems executing the UNIX operating system or one of its derivative operating systems. The RDP protocol and the VNC protocol are, however, incompatible. As a result, redirection client applications utilizing one of the protocols cannot communicate with redirection server applications that utilize the other protocol.
In many server installations, it is common to utilize some server computers that execute the RDC protocol for console redirection and other server computers that execute the VNC protocol for console redirection. As a result, when it is necessary to connect to a server computer via redirection, a user must manually determine the appropriate redirection client application to utilize for the connection. Often, this is performed by manually maintaining a list of all of the server computers that identifies the server computer and the type of redirection protocol utilized by each server. This can be a time consuming and error prone process.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the various embodiments described below have been made.